Audition Central: Annie KIDS
Script: Grace Farrell
SIDE 1
(There is a knock at the door.)
(MISS HANNIGAN)
Yeah. Come in.
(LT. WARD enters with ANNIE.)
LT. WARD
Good afternoon. Miss Hannigan. We found your runaway.
MISS HANNIGAN
Oh, poor punkin, out in the freezin’ cold with just that thin sweater. Thanks so much, officer.
LT. WARD
All in the line of duty. Good afternoon.
(LT. WARD exits. MISS HANNIGAN acts like her true self again.)
MISS HANNIGAN
Well are you glad to be back? Huh?
ANNIE
Yes, Miss Hannigan.
MISS HANNIGAN
Liar. What’s the one thing I always taught you: never tell a lie!
(GRACE FARRELL enters.)
GRACE
Good afternoon. Miss Hannigan?
MISS HANNIGAN
Yes?
GRACE
I’m Grace Farrell, private secretary to Oliver Warbucks.
MISS HANNIGAN
The Oliver Warbucks? The Millionaire?
GRACE
Mr. Warbucks has decided to invite an orphan to spend the Christmas holidays at his home.
(ANNIE smiles really big.)
MISS HANNIGAN
What sort of orphan did he have in mind?
(ANNIE waves.)
GRACE
What about this child right here?
MISS HANNIGAN
Annie? Oh, no! You don’t want her.
GRACE
Annie, would you like to spend the next two weeks at Mr. Warbucks’s home?
ANNIE
I would love to.
GRACE
If you get her coat, I’ll take her along right now.
MISS HANNIGAN
She don’t have no coat.
GRACE
Then we’ll buy her one.
(to MISS HANNIGAN)
Merry Christmas.
(to ANNIE)
Come along Annie.
SIDE 2
GRACE
Welcome home, Mr. Warbucks.
WARBUCKS
It’s good to be home.
(notices ANNIE)
Who is that?
GRACE
This is Annie, Mr. Warbucks: the orphan who will be with us for Christmas.
WARBUCKS
That’s not a boy. Orphans are boys.
GRACE
I’m sorry, sir, you just said - orphan. So I chose a girl.
WARBUCKS
Annie huh? Annie what?
ANNIE
Oh, I’m just Annie, Mr. Warbucks, sir. I’m sorry I’m not a boy.
WARBUCKS
Not at all. Well, Annie, I guess we ought to do something special on your first night.
(comes up with an idea)
Would you like to go to a movie?
ANNIE
Gosh, Mr. Warbucks, I’ve never been to one.
WARBUCKS
Then we will go to the Roxy. Grace, you’ll come, too, of course. Drake, get our coats.
DRAKE
Yes, sir. Which car will you be wanting, sir?
WARBUCKS
We’ll walk. It’s only 45 blocks.
(GRACE, ANNIE, and WARBUCKS begin strolling as various NEW YORKERS enter.)
SIDE 3
ANNIE
Really?
(ROOSEVELT enters in his wheelchair, pushed by his aide, LOUIS HOWE.)
Merry Christmas, President Roosevelt.
ROOSEVELT
Merry Christmas, Annie. Annie, early this morning, FBI Director Hoover succeeded in tracing the identity of your parents.
ANNIE
Yes. Mr. and Mrs. Mudge.
ROOSEVELT
No, dear. David and Margaret Bennett.
ANNIE
But -
WARBUCKS
Annie... Annie, your mother and father passed away. A long time ago.
ANNIE
You mean I’m an orphan, after all.
WARBUCKS
Are you all right, Annie?
ANNIE
Yes. Because I know they loved me. And they would have come for me if they weren’t...
(pause, suddenly tougher)
...Now, who the heck are Ralph and Shirley Mudge?
GRACE
Nobody knew about the locket except us.
WARBUCKS
And the FBI of course.
ANNIE
And Miss Hannigan.